Creative writing: helping a reluctant writer start

Reluctant writers are rarely short of ideas. They are short of a safe way in.

Start with a picture, not a prompt

A photograph with a single question — what happens next? — removes the pressure of inventing a whole world. Choose images with a hint of story: an empty boat, a door left open, a figure walking away.

Write the first line together

Adult writes, child continues. This is not cheating; it is scaffolding, and it is exactly what a tutor does in a small group.

Use a five-sentence plan

One sentence each for: setting, character, problem, action, resolution. A plan this small feels achievable, and it prevents the story that never ends.

Praise specifics

Not "good writing" but "that detail about the cold floor — that made me feel it". Children repeat what gets noticed.